PERTHSHIRE

Barely an hour’s drive from either Glasgow or Edinburgh airports, Perthshire attracts an enthusiastic inflow of overseas visitors as well as those from the domestic market. Described by Sir Walter Scott described as ‘the fairest portion of the Northern Kingdom,’ it has attractions including Highland peaks like Schiehallion and Ben Lawers, not to mention the vibrant city of Perth itself.

Sports fans who watched the first multi-sports European Championships co-hosted by Glasgow and Berlin may have noticed Gleneagles as the centre of action for the golf. That was the most recent event in a long history of hosting top international contests and attracting the very best players in the world, yet rank amateurs are also welcome at this amazing venue with its three championship courses and nine hole ‘wee course’. Beautiful and challenging, it is ranked the number one golf resort in Britain and Ireland by Golf World Magazine, but it welcomes players of all levels, all year. They do not even need a handicap to approach the hallowed fairways, only cash to cover the green fee.

Hikers love Kinnoull Hill, Scotland’s first official woodland park with five impressive hills from which to admire the awesome scenery of this Site of Special Scientific Interest with its roe deer, red squirrels.

Pitlochry Festival Theatre is Scotland’s famous ‘Theatre in the Hills’, offering a year-round programme of top quality theatre and music. A unique Summer repertoire system allows visitors to see a different show every night of the week and two on matinee days. The 2018 programme running to mid-October includes the dramas Travesties, Quality Street and Before the Party, plus two blockbuster musicals, Chicago and The Rise & Fall of Little Voice.

Sunbank House

Guests love the personal touches, home cooked food and ‘can do’ attitude which pervades Sunbank House, a 4 Star gem of a family run hotel only 10 minutes’ walk from Perth city centre.

This elegant hotel sits in mature gardens and is ideally placed to enjoy all the stand-out attractions of Perthshire including magnificent stately homes, showpiece gardens, idyllic landscapes, horse racing and entertainment. Of the 10 bedrooms, three have superior touches including Nespresso machines and Bluetooth speakers. Nine are en suite and all of them overlook the gardens and have tea and coffee making facilities, wi-fi and complimentary toiletries. Pets are welcome by arrangement.

Sunbank House retains many of its original Victorian features, has a lovely lounge bar and is pervaded by a beautifully relaxed ambience.

Owners Finlay and Agnes Gillies offers not only the very best of Scottish breakfasts but also welcoming evening meals home cooked with fresh, high quality local ingredients.

“We want our guests to feel they are home from home,” says Finlay, “And we try very hard to make sure that what a guest wants, a guest gets! We want them to be comfortable and leave feeling they have been well looked after. We do get a lot of repeat business as a result.”